19 Years 

Clover Growin 



IN 



North Dakota 

BY 

DATUS C. SMITH 



ts£ 



PRICE 10 CENTS 



PutKsLed by 

CLOVERLEA SEED CO, 

BLANCHARD, N. D. 



19 Years 



Clover Growing 



IN 



NortK Dakota 



BY 

DATUS C. SMITH 



EXPERIENCES 

AT 

CLOVERLEA FARM 



Copyright 1916 



&$* 



0<fo 

JUL -3 1916 



'CI. A 4 83 GO 4 




In Clover at Cloverlea Farm 



Clover Growing 

At Cloverlea Farm 



Cloverlea Farm, at Blanchard, Traill County, North Dakota, 
consists of 2,240 acres of medium Red River valley soil, all 
arable, save 20 acres. The farm was established by the writer 
in the days of the Territory on the virgin prairie and continues 
under the same ownership and management, with such advan- 
tage as may come to a farm long operated with definite ideals. 

EARLY DAYS 

In the beginning Cloverlea Farm (which, by the way, did 
not take its name until it had earned it in broad fields of clover) 
was devoted entirely to wheat like all other farms of the valley. 
Year after year we would plow and sow and reap a crop of 
wheat; doubt of a crop there was none in those days. But 
crops to be had for the asking are past in North Dakota — the 
land can no longer be profitably farmed in the old way. 




■ 
Harvesting in the Early Days 

This was foreseen by many, and strenuous efforts were begun 
to get out of "all wheat," especially when the inevitable era of 
low prices for wheat set in. One thing was accepted by all 
men at that time, that we were too far north to grow clover. So, 
everything else was tried. Some went into sheep and more 



CLOVER GROWING 



into cattle, without adequate preparation in fences, pastures 
and hay lands, and then, almost to a man, out again. Others 
took to raising hogs, but however profitable hogs may be they 
can never afford extensive rotation in the prairie farming of 
North Dakota. But the thing that swept the entire older part 
of the state was summer fallowing : that was to redeem us from 
all our ills; instead, it filled the ditches everywhere with the 
precious top soil, already too fine from loss of humus through 
continued cropping. Then the summer fallow as a substitute 
for real rotation also went by the board. 

EXPERIMENTS IN CLOVER 

Cloverlea Farm had its fair share in these things, but it was 
at the same time striving for something better. With clover 
constantly in mind the writer made visits to the best farming 
sections of southern Minnesota and Michigan and to the prin- 
cipal clover district of Wisconsin. Visits were also made t© 
the Experiment Stations of those states. To every man we said 
"Will you please tell us about clover?" 

Modest experiments were also begun at Cloverlea in red 
clover, alsike and white clover, in alfalfa and even in sweet 
clover, 200 pounds of the latter seed being secured from Mis- 
sissippi for the trial. Alsike, notwithstanding the Eastern boom- 
ing it had at the time, proved too small and needed more water 
than it could get. Alfalfa we tried in every way, with a nurse 
crop and without, broadcasted and cultivated in drill rows — 
but no one told us then of inoculation, and the alfalfa lan- 
guished. Sweet clover seemed to fail, doubtless it was simply 
because the seeds were too hard to germinate the first year. 
But we stuck to red clover and WON. 

FINAL SUCCESS 

The first field crop was planted in 1897. It consisted of 
3.83 acres. As an experiment the results would have been 
called meager but for the fact that it did demonstrate that red 
clover had actually lived over a severe winter on the open 

JUL 3 1916 



METHODS AT CLOVERLEA 



Dakota prairie. All our experiments previous to this had been 
in more or less protected situations near the buildings. 

In 1 899 we laid down at Cloverlea a full quarter section to 
clover and timothy, mixed half and half by weight. This field 
came through the winter badly and the great drought of 1 900 
finished all the clover, licking up every leaf, but fortunately 
leaving us the timothy. That experience gave us serious pause 
for a year; but in 1902 we had recovered full breath and were 
up again, planting that year 1 60 acres of clear clover and 320 
acres of clover and timothy mixed. 

Lest it may seem a thing of the past, it may be mentioned 
that in the past season, 1915, we laid down 377 acres in clear 
red clover and clover and timothy mixed. 

OUR FIRST CLOVER SEED 

No attempt was made during the first few years to save seed 
at Cloverlea, not only because there was no huller in the country, 
but also because the demands for hay and pasturage were then 
so urgent. Until 1 904 we brought in clover seed from southern 
Minnesota and Wisconsin, each lot being specially selected for 
us in order to get the cleanest and most vigorous seed obtain- 
able. In 1 905 Cloverlea Farm got the most modern clover 
huller, the first by several years, we believe, to be brought into 
the state. Since 1904 we have brought in no clover seed from 
the outside. The result has been the gradual development at 
Cloverlea of thoroughly acclimated red clover. 

METHODS AT CLOVERLEA 

There is no system of clover raising in any state to the east 
of us that will entirely fit the requirements of North Dakota, as 
we have learned through unhappy experiences. 

EARLY SEEDING 

The earlier the clover crop can be put in the better — this is 
the rule at Cloverlea. In some situations very early seeding is 



CLOVER GROWING 



an absolute necessity on the well-worn wheat soils that are wisely 
chosen to be laid down to clover. Everything must be done to 
give the young clover plants a good chance. Starting with a 
soil somewhat depleted, early seeding is a great help. Of late 
years earliest seeding has not been indispensable at Cloverlea 
because the soil is now in so much better condition than it was 
when we began raising clover. 

THE SEED BED 

A firm seed bed in the best possible tilth is for clover a prin- 
ciple well understood ; still, only the wary avoid pitfalls known 
to all. The only catch of clover that ever failed us in the spring 
was on a piece of fall-plowed land so dry as to be the first 
seeded and so mellow that we thought no harrowing beyond 
once covering was needed. There was the mistake; the rather 
dry summer caught this field, though another seeded the same 
spring came through all right. 

METHODS OF SEEDING 

We went through the whole range of seeders, wheelbarrow 
seeders, rake seeders and seeder attachments for grain drills, 
seeking to follow the best practice of the eastern states, requiring 
very shallow seeding — and there are those who, possibly with- 
out experience, still advise that practice for North Dakota. 
But at Cloverlea we came in the end to mixing the clover seed 
(and clover and timothy) with the seed wheat and running the 
seeder disks pretty shallow. This may look like "slack farm- 
ing," — we thought so once — but we have followed it many 
years v/ith much satisfaction. The possibility of dry summers 
makes rather deep seeding necessary. The mixing should be 
done only at the buildings, not in the seeder box. We once tried 
mixing the clover seed in the seeder boxes in the field and got 
an uneven stand. 

SEED PER ACRE 

We have gradually increased the amount of seed per acre. 
We are now using 1 pounds of clear clover when alone and 
5 pounds of clover and 5 pounds of timothy for mixed seeding. 



METHODS AT CLOVERLEA 9 



This is an abundance in favorable seasons on a good seed bed 
for average North Dakota soils, which are naturally strong, 
but on the whole we feel inclined to a somewhat less proportion 
of timothy. 

NURSE CROPS 

We have settled down to a regular seeding of wheat as the 
most satisfactory nurse crop for clover in North Dakota. A 
heavy crop of oats will surely smother clover. Barley, like all 
grains, takes a good deal of water at ripening time, and with 
barley that happens sometimes to be the dryest part of the sea- 
son. Besides that, barley is generally seeded late and on spring 
plowing, both bad for clover. 

Rye, a favorite nurse crop in the east, has here the same 
objection as barley in robbing the young clover plant of moisture 
in midsummer. This may be fully atoned for by the fact that 
with rye the clover may get much earlier seeding even on the 
yet frozen ground in the spring. There is, however, a reason 
often conclusive against rye, and that is the greater need of 
clover on some other land than rye stubble. 

INOCULATION 

We believe thoroughly in inoculation lor alfalfa and some 
other crops, but we have found red clover little in need of it at 
Cloverlea; we have had excellent crops of clover on fields 
never before in clover. The bacteria may be carried in the 
seed; quite likely it is already in many soils. 

MANURE 

It is difficult to map out, or follow, any precise plan for the 
use of manures on a North Dakota farm, various limitations 
interfering to prevent it. 

At Cloverlea we have come to believe that the best possible 
general use of manure is in connection with clover and grass, 
and not on corn ground. In summer, we haul the manure every 
day direct from the horse barn to the field with a manure 
spreader. We would not put manure on mature clover or 



io CLOVER GROWING 



alfalfa, but as a top dressing for the young clover in the fall 
after the nurse crop is off we find it invaluable, and there is 
nothing like it for a timothy crop, old or new. Often we cannot 
reach the clover and timothy owing to the distances from the 
buildings. Whatever manure we have left over goes, as a rule, 
in a thin top dressing to nearby pastures, beginning at the fur- 
ther side to avoid repeated applications near the gate. This all 
relates to fresh horse manure hauled daily from the barn. 

In winter, when top dressing can no longer be done, the fresh 
horse manure is, when the weather and roads will permit, hauled 
out to distant fields most needing it and piled there to be dis- 
tributed later. The well rotted yard manure, so far as it cannot 
be used for top dressing, is spread first on ground that is to go 
into alfalfa without a nurse crop, and after that on corn ground, 
not so much for the benefit of the corn as for the crops to follow, 
alfalfa and potatoes at present at Cloverlea. 

If you have clover, stock will follow, and that means manure 
and crops; and it should not be forgotten that manure from 
clover hay is much richer than common manure. 

LIME AND COMMERCIAL FERTILIZERS 

There is as a rule — though there are exceptions — enough 
lime in the soil of North Dakota to render it unnecessary, even 
for clover, to add lime. So, little attention need be paid the 
question of acid soils. 

President E. F. Ladd, of the Agricultural College, then 
head of Chemistry Department, selected Cloverlea Farm for a 
comprehensive test of commercial fertilizers in 1911, 30 acres 
being devoted to the experiment. The work was under the 
immediate charge of Prof. J. W. Ince. The definite conclu- 
sion reached was that, speaking generally, no commercial fer- 
tilizer, not even phosphorous, is at present an economic ad- 
vantage in the raising of grain in North Dakota. 

CLOVER AND WILD OATS 

Weeds are no doubt a blessing in disguise, to compel better 
farming. In North Dakota at the present time the disguise 



USES OF CLOVER u 



reaches its highest perfection in wild oats. Clover is a pretty 
good weed killer, smothering many the first spring after the 
wheat is off, or catching them in the first cutting of clover. 
Clover will not eradicate wild oats, but it will check them hard, 
getting every oat that is on or near the surface after the wheat 
of the year before. 

FAILURES IN CLOVER 

With the one exception mentioned, we have not failed at any 
time to get a fair catch of clover. Several times, Cloverlea has 
had but half a crop of clover, but there has never been a 
complete crop failure in any year except in the drought of 
1900. Can any clover section in the east show so good a 
record? Should not the men of North Dakota take courage 
from this? 

After clover seed is taken from a field, if the ground is not 
plowed in the fall, that field is likely to show the next spring 
the most beautiful stand of clover ever seen. Trust her not, 
he is fooling thee ! She did it twice for us at Cloverlea Farm. 
Such a catch clover crop does not make a success, partly, it 
may be, because the self-seeding is too thick, but at any rate 
the unplowed ground is too hard — clover surely needs a good 
bed to lie in. 

For lack of a good seed bed, we had another failure. Years 
ago we took a poor piece of wheat stubble — we had more of 
that kind then than now — disked it well and seeded it late in 
the fall to clover. We planned that without a nurse crop it 
should do well, but it didn't — clover, like little children, must 
have a good start in life. 



USES OF CLOVER 

It seems absurd to tell any farmer of the uses of clover when 
he well knows that he could make very good use of it if he 
only had it. However, having in mind chiefly the important 
part that clover may play in the rotation of North Dakota 



12 CLOVER GROWING 



crops, we think it may be encouraging to some to show what 
is done with clover at Cloverlea Farm. 

Wise rotation at best has some difficulties in a North Dakota 
farm. Any man who tells precisely how he cuts up his Dakota 
farm in an undeviating rotation may be safely considered a very 
dull person, or imaginative — surprises await him. 

Cloverlea Farm is a long way from perfection as to the best 
rotation, but has found clover an invaluable aid in that direction. 

CLOVER IN THE ROTATION 

Starting with the plan of seeding down every year approxi- 
mately one-tenth of the farm, we take fields that have had two, 
three or four crops of grain (of one kind or another), selecting 
the land most needing restoration, judged not only by its appar- 
ent condition but also by its record, and seed 80 to 1 60 acres 
in clear red clover and a like acreage in clover and timothy 
mixed, always with wheat as the nurse crop. 

The clear clover is, the next season, treated strictly as a 
one-year crop. First, we take a crop of hay and, when 
the promise is good, reserve the second cutting for seed. 
After the seed is off, the land is plowed that fall, unless late 
season compels its being plowed the next spring — and prosper- 
ity is ours in the next two or three grain crops on that land if 
there is any such thing as prosperity going at that time. 

The clover and timothy fields are treated as two-year crops, 
one-half as meadow and the other half as pasture. 

The first year of the meadow, we take one crop of mixed 
hay, and the second cutting, unless there ij urgent demand for 
hay or pasturage, is reserved for clear clover seed, the first 
cutting having prevented the timothy from making seed. In the 
second year of the meadow, now largely timothy (unless we 
took clover seed the year before and left a catch crop of clover) 
the hay is taken and that land immediately broken, and later 
backset. 

The pasture is used from the beginning, but early close 
grazing is avoided because we have the old pasture to use until 
it is broken up in midsummer; this leaves the new pasture un- 



USES OF CLOVER 13 



grazed till there is substance in the young clover. In the second 
year of the pasture (now become the "old pasture") it is grazed 
heavily from early in the spring till breaking time, when it is 
broken, and later backset, like the meadow that same summer. 
It should be mentioned that this second year the pasture, if it 
has not been grazed too closely the year before, will be still 
pretty well filled with clover which will continue till the sod is 
turned under. 

This completes the two years of clover and timothy mixed 
that we started with; that is, each field has a season and a half 
in timothy and clover and a half-season given over to breaking 
and backsetting the land. Here is again real sod land, well 
stocked with humus and qualified to yield three, four or five 
good grain crops, often starting with flax. Flax, in this way, 
coming only once in several years on the same land, is found to 
be a profitable crop at Cloverlea. 

This statement as to rotation of crops looks too machine- 
made to suit Cloverlea, where too much or too little moisture, 
abundant or lean condition of pastures and other things come 
in to bend the best laid plans. However, the scheme is sub- 
stantially as stated, with a record of over 200 acres average 
annually laid down in clover and clover and timothy during the 
last fifteen years. 




A good Hay Crop at Cloverlea 



14 CLOVER GROWING 



PASTURES 

The entire farm, save one quarter section, is fenced with 22 
miles of sheep-tight cattle fencing, long since paid for by the 
grazing afforded by fields that would otherwise have been use- 
less in that respect. Having the fences, we get much grazing 
from fields not then in pasture, and are thus enabled to pasture 
our stock on less land than would be necessary without the 
fences. With two small river-bend pastures (47 acres) that 
cannot well be worked, 120 acres suffice for grazing 45 head 
work horses, 450 sheep and 1 18 head of cattle. 

At Cloverlea we bring pastures into rotation; we should 
consider it poor farming indeed to continue land in pasturage 
that had become better fitted for grain crops than any other 
land of the farm. Oh, yes, we have heard of the evil of break- 
ing up permanent pastures in England and Kentucky and else- 
where, but we are speaking of grain farms in North Dakota. 




SHEEP AND CLOVER 

Sheep have been kept steadily at Cloverlea Farm during the 
past fourteen years, ever since we began to feel sure of clover. 
We carry over about 250 head of high-grade Shropshire ewes 
and market each fall about 200 good prairie lambs. The wool 
and lambs bring in an average of about $1 ,300 each year, and 
it is the nearest like "finding money" of anything that happens 
at Cloverlea, partly because the sheep may be shifted from 
field to field, delighted with any kind of good food, including 
most weeds, though not all. They will roam a piece of summer- 



USES OF CLOVER 15 



plowing and graze the strips along the fences and prosper, while 
they will fatten on the stubbles in the fall. In good sized pas- 
tures we run sheep, horses and cattle together when there is 
occasion without harm to the sheep. 

But a flock of sheep becomes a nuisance of the first magni- 
tude to him who is not fairly equipped with feed and fences. It 
may be added that there appear to be positive limits to the size 
of flock of sheep that may be profitably maintained on a North 
Dakota grain farm. It does not seem the best use of land to 
carry sheep even in clover pastures longer than is required to 
restore those pasture lands to good condition for again raising 
grain. Beyond such limits, we are now making our gradual 
increase of live stock in cattle rather than in sheep. 

FEEDING CLOVER 

We feed clover hay to horses without restriction and without 
bad results. We have had but one horse with heaves, and that 
was many years ago. We should, in fact, have a larger pro- 
portion of clear clover hay than we do but for the need of 
sowing timothy with the clover to safeguard our hay supply and 
pastures against failure through possible loss of the clover. 

Since everyone who writes on clover seems to feel called upon 
to say something about clover bloat, we will say that we have 
never had a case. This is perhaps chiefly because there is now 
some clover growing in all our pasture lands. 

However, we exercise care in putting stock on clover, invari- 
ably seeing to it that they are not hungry when first turned in 
and that the pasture is not then wet either from dew, rain or 
frost. Stock new to the farm are at the beginning left in the 
pasture less than half an hour if the clover is at all heavy; soon 
all stock is left on the clover all the time. 

CLOVER SEED 

Clover seed has been a variable crop with us, but with ma- 
turity of the tilled soil and the acclimatization of the seed, it 
seems more reliable. But the more important thing contributing 



i6 



CLOVER GROWING 



to this is no doubt the increase of natural agencies cross-pollinat- 
ing red clover. The fertilization of red clover is still an elusive 
branch of agricultural science, though pursued by many eminent 
men. We are not aware that it has yet been determined what 
are the chief agencies that carry the pollen from one red clover 
plant to another in North Dakota, but it is certain that the thing 
is done, and it seems reasonable that these agencies should in- 
crease as the cultivation of clover increases. 

As it is, the clover seed crop has proved a valuable one at 
Cloverlea. The clover seed market is very broad and one of 
the most stable of all American farm markets. We therefore 
urge our fellow farmers of North Dakota to raise medium red 
clover seed, always in connection with live stock to use the hay 
and pasturage. 



OTHER THINGS IN THE CLOVER SCHEME 

Having at last learned how to raise alfalfa, through inocula- 
tion, its one lack with us, that crop is now a small but growing 
part of the scheme at Cloverlea — not in rotation, but as an un- 
failing resource in dry times, and good at all times. 

Silage is also used as a valuable supplement to clover hay in 
winter feeding. We would not be without it, but it cannot com- 
pete on even terms with clover hay in present day North Dakota 

farming. For one thing, the hay 
is put up so cheaply and in such 
excellent condition with modern 
stacking machines — we put up 
1 35 acres of heavy red clover 
hay last season with two machines 
and six bull rakes in three days — 
while cutting corn and refilling 
the silo is not so very cheap a 
process in threshing time, when 
it must be done. Then, corn 
cannot on the average North 
Dakota farm afford the large 
measure of rotation that we must 
have if we are to prosper. 




SUGGESTIONS 17 



We are beginning this year to plant sweet clover and believe 
it has a good place in North Dakota agriculture. 



SUGGESTIONS 

It has been the aim of these few pages not to instruct, but to 
persuade — not to provide a complete manual of clover growing, 
but to convince farmers of its abundant success in North Dakota. 
But a word or two of suggestion may be added 

AS TO SOIL. — It may be said, in a general way, that 
any good corn soil should be good for clover and that clover 
can well stand a soil somewhat heavier than that. 

HIGH STUBBLE. — At harvest time it is well to leave a 
high stubble over the young clover, though that is not now con- 
sidered very important at Cloverlea ; we used to leave the highest 
possible stubble. 

REMOVING THE GRAIN SHOCKS from the field 
of young clover is unnecessary ; do not go to that expense. The 
shocks, it is true, will generally kill the young clover under them 
by the time the grain is ready to be stacked or threshed, but that 
is not serious ; the clover crowds in and covers the spots pretty well 
so that by the second cutting the next year they cannot be even 
found. Anyway, it would be far cheaper, when the rush of 
harvesting and threshing is over, to sprinkle a little clover seed 
where each shock has stood. 

POOR LAND. — If we had a field in too poor con- 
dition, through long cropping, to raise another crop of spring 
grain (as we once had, but have not now), we should, if there 
was time, seed it to rye and timothy and add clover seed the 
next spring, before the ground is soft, if possible; or else plow 
and harrow well in the fall and lay it down in clear clover, or 
clover and timothy, early in the spring (on the frozen ground 
when practicable) and without a nurse crop. 



i8 CLOVER GROWING 



MEDIUM RED CLOVER is the thing. Alsike requires 
too much water and mammoth clover has no place ordinarily in 
North Dakota. Mammoth clover is good for plowing under, 
but there are few fields in North Dakota where plowing under 
clover will or should be practiced. 

A BUNCHER attached to a five-foot mower makes an 
excellent tool for gathering the seed clover. The cut clover may 
be threshed from the field as it lies if the huller can be had 
within a reasonable time, or else should be stacked and topped 
out with long grass reserved and cut for the purpose, or with 
long hay. 

DO NOT BURN CLOVER STRAW— it is too val- 
uable as manure. Some may be fed, depending on its condition ; 
it may be used for bedding or spread in the yards to make the 
best of manures, or spread on the fields direct. 

OLD PASTURES.— Why continue old pastures? Why 
not trade off, with yourself, a weary piece of wheat stubble 
that so much needs rest and get a rich piece of pasture sod to 
put into grain? Do you know, you can trade even and get a 
good fence around the land besides? Figure it out: Eight 
grain crops on a piece of land vs. three crops of grain, one year 
in hay (or hay and clover seed), one in pasture and then three 
crops of grain again. 

SWEET CLOVER. — If we may believe one-half of what 
is now said in its favor, every farmer in North Dakota should 
make some trial of sweet clover. 

PLANT WILLOWS. — Every prairie farmer of sound 
mind and with hope in his heart plants trees, of course, but 
there are many in North Dakota who have not yet come to a 
full appreciation of the value of the willow; we were slow in 
learning it at Cloverlea. 

By planting willows there is assured an unfailing supply of 
fence posts without cost, thereby greatly forwarding the clover 
scheme. ., 



LOOKING FORWARD 19 



The willow makes a good windbreak; it shows the first 
touch of color in the spring, but its surpassing merit lies in the 
fact that when cut in the dormant stage it will not die, but will 
bear heavier than before. Twelve years ago we cut 500 poles 
from the grove for the roof of a straw shed for sheep, and now 
the stumps that were then left have given us 500 good fence 
posts and have begun their mission of growing more posts, inci- 
dentally furnishing much firewood. We have bought no fire- 
wood for twelve years. 

If you haven't a good grove of willows, stop seeding for a 
few hours, if necessary, next spring and plant some willow 
trees — no grain planting that you can do will give you such big 
returns. 

RECORDS. — Every farmer should keep yearly records of 
the farm operations. There is both value and much satisfaction 
in them, but they should be very simple. Elaborate records are 
not worth the time put into them and in the end are likely to 
wholly discourage the man who makes them. 

A map, or sketch, each year, showing the different crops, 
with a brief note or two on each space as to time of seeding, 
acreage, yield and kind of plowing has real value, especially 
with clover and greater rotation of crops. Cloverlea has kept 
such record-maps for twenty-five years and considers the few 
hours a year devoted to making them the best invested time of 
the year's work. We color our maps with school crayons, the 
wheat yellow, all grass and clover green, etc., the more readily 
to catch the eye. It takes but a few minutes and is worth 
while. 

LOOKING FORWARD 

Who seeds timothy alone in North Dakota? Most farmers. 
Why not add clover? If it is a matter of the cost of the seed, 
greater returns may be had by putting a part of the money into 
clover instead of all timothy; the acreage may be reduced and 
produce the same amount of hay while the clover will materially 
enrich the land even after the top is removed for hay and pas- 



20 CLOVER GROWING 



turage. Why bury seed wheat by the ton so cheerfully every 
spring in the doubtful hope of reward, when clover seed put in 
with the timothy gives surer promise with small outlay? Try 
at least 2 or 3 pounds of clover in every acre laid down to 
timothy. That will do for a start; but better still, put in a full 
5 pounds and take courage. 

Cloverlea Farm puts in 25 bushels or so of red clover seed 
every year, not for the fun of it, but because it pays. You may 
say: "Oh, yes, but they raise their own seed and don't need to 
buy it." True, but think of this: Clover seed is gold, whoever 
has it, and there has never been a bushel of clover seed put in 
by Cloverlea Farm that could not have been sold by the farm 
at the very price you would need to have paid for clover seed. 
Come, plant some clover; get the habit and stop worrying about 
hay and pastures. 

AN IDEAL FOR NORTH DAKOTA 

Would you see the Red River Valley and all fairly heavy 
lands of the state blossom as the rose and bring to their people 
a prosperity as yet unknown? Then let every farm contribute 
its share, and get its share, by laying down every year one-tenth 
of its area to new red clover or clover and timothy. 



CLOVERLEA SEED CO. 21 



CLOVERLEA SEED CO. 

This company carries on the seed business formerly done by Cloverlea 
Farm and has the same management as the farm. 

HARDY CLOVER SEED 

The need of hardy plants is shown in the half-crop that sometimes 
carries through our severe winters. Beyond a doubt, it is only the hardiest 
plants that survive. By planting in succession the seeds from these hardiest 
plants, as has been the natural course at Cloverlea for eleven years on the 
open prairie, the type becomes fixed, as could not be the case with seed 
replenished from milder climates and more protected situations. The North 
Dakota Agricultural College has shown its belief in the importance of 
clover seed bred up to hardiness in North Dakota by taking one year 1 5 
bushels of red clover seed raised at Cloverlea Farm for distribution 
throughout the slate. 

NORTH DAKOTA CLOVER SEED 

Such North Dakota clover seed as finds its way to market is classed by 
seedsmen as the highest grade that is grown. Engendered by the cold 
climate and strong new soil where "clover sickness" of the soil has never 
been known, it has size, weight and vigor unsurpassed by any clover seed 
grown in America. Clover seed grown in warmer climates is often mixed with 
that grown in colder climate to make it marketable. Why not get all cold 
climate seed ? 

WHAT WE SELL 

Though we sell such field grain seeds as are common to North Dakota 
farming, our principal business is the selling of medium red clover seed. 
Our supply is, first, that raised at Cloverlea Farm which bears the name 
"Cloverlea" in the brand. After that we sell of red clover none other 
than North Dakota seed. Most of this will still be from Traill County, 
N. D., seed that largely has its origin in seed grown on Cloverlea Farm. 
For the selection of the Traill County seed, we have unusual facilities 
since Cloverlea Farm hulls most ot the clover grown in the county. 



22 



CLOVERLEA SEED CO 



GUARANTY 

We put out under the " Good Luck " brand only our highest grade of 
seed. Owing to variation in soil conditions and vicissitudes of crops we 
cannot assume responsibility after the seed is planted. However, any of our 
clover seed that is unsatisfactory may at once be returned to us and we will 
refund the full amount paid for it together with the freight paid by the buyer ; 
further, we will, on application, grant twelve days in which an official inspection 
of the seed may be made. 

TERMS AND REFERENCES 

Cash is invariably required with orders, or shipments will be made 
accompanied by bank draft in the usual way. 

Reference is had by permission to the following: 

Merchants National Bank of St. Paul, Minn., where Cloverlea Farm 
has had its account for 25 years. 

Blanchard Mercantile Company, Blanchard, N. D. 

The Postmaster at Blanchard, N. D. 

Also see Dun's or Bradstreet's. Ask any banker. 



Carl Hilstad, 
George Hilstad, 



Managers. 



CLOVERLEA SEED COMPANY, 

Blanchard, N. D. 



Hardy 




NORTH DAKOTA 
CUOVER SEED 




Evening 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




000 930 




671 7 



